Dudhnoi (Assam), April 3 Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have prepared a roadmap for tribal development, and the BJP's return to power in the state will ensure its implementation.
Addressing a rally in Dudhnoi in the Goalpara district, Shah said that the Congress has never made an Adivasi woman the country's President, but Modi changed that, and Droupadi Murmu became the nation's first citizen.
"The Prime Minister is at the top, and here, in Assam, there is the Chief Minister – both have a roadmap for the development of tribals in the state. If the people give the BJP a mandate for the third successive time, it will be taken forward," Shah said.
He alleged that the Congress never talked about tribal welfare, and since Independence, its successive governments had spent only Rs 25,000 crore on tribal development, but in the last 11 years, the Prime Minister has given Rs 1.38 lakh crore to them.
The Union Minister called Goalpara 'Mini Assam' as several tribes, including Rabha, Bodo, Hajong, and Koch, along with Adivasi tea garden workers, reside in the district, and only the BJP can ensure their development.
He also asserted that tribal areas will not come under the ambit of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
"The Congress is spreading rumours to scare tribals that they will be affected by the UCC, but this is absolutely untrue, and no tribal will fall under its ambit," he said.
Shah also asserted that it was the Prime Minister who had taken the art, culture, food, textiles, music and dance of tribals to the global stage.
"Each tribal family will be given a cow and a buffalo, and I, as the cooperation minister, will ensure this," Shah said.
On the recent violence in the adjoining Garo hills of Meghalaya, Shah said that infiltrators sought to capture power in the Garo council by marrying tribal women, and this led to the strife.
He accused the Congress of making Assam an 'adda' (centre) for infiltrators, and the BJP government has already started the process of sending them back.
"Give us another five years in power in Assam, and we will rid the state of each and every identified infiltrator by sending them back," he said.
The Union home minister said that the BJP restored peace in Assam, signing several accords since 2019 and bringing over 10,000 youths to the mainstream through surrenders.
He alleged that whenever he talks about disturbed times in the state since the Assam agitation days, "Rahul baba (Gandhi) says why do I talk about the past".
"We have to remember the past mistakes made by the Congress and ensure those are not repeated," he said.
If the Congress wins any seat in the April 9 assembly polls, the northeastern state will again witness instability, Shah asserted.
Highlighting several development projects undertaken by the BJP, the Union minister said the Congress cannot even imagine of taking initiatives of this scale to ensure progress of the state.
"Don't waste a single vote on 'hand' (Congress symbol), cast it in favour of BJP's lotus," he added.
Shah was campaigning here for the party candidates Pabitra Rabha of Goalpara West (ST) and Tankeshwar Rabha for Dudhnoi (ST).
Elections to Assam's 126 assembly constituencies will be held on April 9, with the counting of votes scheduled on May 4.